An Application of Concept Maps in Chemistry: Teaching and Learning of Chemical Bonding Using Cmaptools

In this paper we present the use of the Cmaptools software (free software developed by the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in order to help to construct concept maps in any field of knowledge). The topic chosen for it has been “Chemical bonding and properties of substances” because this topic is considered as crucial and basic in the field of Science Education for the understanding and assimilation of many other concepts as much in chemistry as in biology or earth science. Concept maps have proved to be an appropriate means of representing and organising knowledge in a graphical way, and its use can help the students to construct meaningful learning in a effectively way. Although students need time to be familiar with it, the use of this tool achieves to accelerate and make more interesting and playful the process. In this work we show the process of elaboration of the concept maps of the inclusive concepts: chemical bonding, covalent bonds and macroscopic properties in relation to the type of bonding.

Dr Constancio Aguirre-Pérez

Dr. in Chemistry, lecturer in the Teacher Training Shool of Cuenca (University of Castilla-La Mancha), teaching Physics, Chemistry and Science Education. I am interested in Science Education, Science Museums, ICT, STS (Science, Technology and Society), Enviromnmental Education, Health Education (Prevention of tobacco use). I can read and write in Spanis, English, French and a little bit of German. I can read Italian an Portuguese.